Many people use universal analytics and Google interchangeably for data gathering and analytics. But there is a vast difference. Some businesses still use traditional Google Analytics because they have no idea about the wonder of universal analytics.
What is Universal Analytics?
Google Analytics’ new version is Universal Analytics, which raises the bar for collecting and organizing data. They introduced it in 2012 to provide new tracking codes for websites, along with more accurate metrics.
Digital marketers and data analysts can use both, but the only supported version at the moment is Universal Analytics.
The upgraded analytics resolves one of the biggest problems among web analysts: they can’t track real people. Web analytics can only track browsers and devices. If you use Safari and Chrome to visit a page, analytics will think it’s two different people. And if you see it from your phone and laptop, analytics will think it’s two different users again.
Another concern among web analysts is that cookie-based analytics like Google Analytics are declining. Many browsers give you the option to block cookies so that the values might be inaccurate. Several laws like the EU Privacy Directive also pose restrictions on cookie-based tracking.
Thankfully, Universal Analytics can track individuals through a unique identifier per user. Universal Analytics only sees you as one person, regardless of the gadget or browser they utiliz3. However, you need to log in to both devices using one account to be considered one person. If you do not log in, This type of analytics will not know that it’s one person.
User ID
As mentioned, someone who visits a site with different browsers will appear as multiple users in Google Analytics. In Universal Analytics, the user ID allows the reporting of every activity from an individual. Organizations can now evaluate the number of visitors more correctly. They can follow the user experience better and see Cross Device reports.
Tracking Code
Universal Analytics offers three new codes for tracking to make more valuable insights available. They include:
- Analytics.js is for assessing how individuals interact with the site.
- Google Analytics SDKs is for tracking in mobile.
- Measurement Protocol gathers information from other devices, such as gaming gadgets.
Offline Data
Tracking from outside sources is also possible with Universal Analytics. The application protocol interface involves call centers and lead generation systems. This new feature allows organizations and businesses to get a general view of customers’ behavior. They need to import the offline data and make it open for analysis. One example of offline data is the point-of-sale transaction.
Organic Search Source
Organic search is one of the many ways Universal Analytics allows you to configure your account. Before, Google Analytics used the inbound traffic and split the traffic from other sources like ads. Then, it considers it “organic search traffic.”
Unfortunately, Google Analytics reports traffic from one source when the traffic comes from different places with only similar parameters. This will give web analysts inaccurate results. With Universal Analytics, you can modify the list depending on how you want the user sessions to be available.
Universal vs. Google Analytics
Now that you know what Universal Analytics means, let’s dive a little deeper by comparing it with Google Analytics. Google Analytics is cookie-based analytics, which means that the essential data for measurement is a cookie.
Cookies are the tiny files in the browser that interacts with the tracking code of Google Analytics. Accessing cookies entails using the Developer Tools of the browser. Here’s how to open Developer Tools:
- Right-click on your site.
- Click Inspect.
- You’ll see the Developer Tools right below the browser window.
- Click on the Application tab, then Cookies.
Each cookie per user possesses a unique value that allows Google Analytics to monitor the individual. Each number sequence in the cookie value has a meaning.
Data Collection
Google Analytics offers fewer methods to collect and integrate data than Universal Analytics. It cannot integrate data across more than one platform or device. Meanwhile, it also better understands the connection between offline and online marketing platforms that induce conversions.
Data Processing
Session-based or visit-based processing in Google Analytics is already behind the times. With Universal Analytics, it is visitor-based. It uses your sign-in information to consider you as one person despite the multiple browsers and devices.
Custom Metrics
Create and utilize your metrics and dimensions with Universal Analytics. But if you’re only using Google Analytics, it will not automatically gather information such as CRM data, phone call data, and more.
In other words, Universal Analytics allows for custom metrics or dimensions so that you can import more data into the account.
Technical Knowledge
While Google Analytics is perfect for beginners in data analytics, Universal Analytics requires more technical knowledge. The platform is more complex than others because of the custom dimensions and metrics. If you have no experience with analytics, integrating data across various devices could be difficult.
The event, e-commerce, and cross-domain tracking are also different in Universal Analytics. Make sure you can navigate the platform before using it.
Referrals Processing
Web analysts process referrals differently in Universal Analytics. A new web session is created for every referral, affecting the sum of web sessions in the reports. But if you do not want to trigger a new session, you can also change the settings.
Privacy and Use of Data
This type of analytics takes privacy concerns seriously compared to Google Analytics. It understands that collecting data about the users comes with a huge responsibility. Google provides guidelines against gathering personally identifiable data in the user ID account. It warns the same in custom metrics, dimensions, and data import. Breaching this policy terminates your Universal Analytics account.
You also need to provide users with notice and consent about the type of data to collect using Universal Analytics. They must also have the choice to “opt-out” of the tracking method.
Make changes in your privacy settings and data usage to avoid the deletion of your account. Google suggests using the opt-out browser add-on when blocking it.
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